MENTAL JAMMING

Mental jamming Thinking about or performing too many tasks at a time leads to forgetting of things. A professor of cognitive science and neurology makes it a point that the entry to retention of things in memory is attention. Multitasking makes it hard to commit things to memory in the first place. Attention is the gateway to retention says a professor of neurology and cognitive science. If the information doesnt get in to begin with forget trying to save it and access it later. If your day is filled with multiple activities dont rely on your recall skills. The old proverb The worst pencil is better than the best memory still h9olds true. So make lists and take notes. And ask others to do the same. For instance, if your children complain of your forgetting things then tell them that if they really want you to do something they should write it on a paper and paste it on your dressing table or put it in your purse. Interestingly people tend to blame age rather than busy-ness for their memory slips - and then may think their memory is worse than it really is. Take the common lapse of forgetting someones name. It happens to everybody young and old. Names are difficult to handle because theyre abstract. The persons face and his name arent logical ideas for the brain to link together. And the older we get the more data we have to sort through. Some mental lapses are due to congestion, says doctor who compares the middle aged brain to a bridge at rush hour. When you have too many cars and too few lances nothings can move. One of the reasons we blank out names he explains is that we know too many of them. Anxiety makes it worse by creating more traffic. Thats why the name often pops into your mind later says doctor when the mental traffic has died down. Could it be an illness? Certain medical problems can interfere with your ability to recall. If youre struggling see a doctor to rule out such possible causes as: Hypothyroidism (under active thyroid gland) slows down information processing; Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) can cause distracting physical sensations such as itching which make it hard to concentrate. Mood disorders affect attention and concentration so you dont form strong enough memories to start with. Head injury even a mild blow to the head can lead to memory problems later on. Hypertension can cut down the blood flow to the brain. Blood sugar fluctuations can also interfere with attention. Sleeping pills antihistamines And anti-anxiety medications are some other culprits for poor memory and forgetfulness.